Marc Gasol

Gasol is entering his seventh NBA season. Last season, he averaged 14.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.3 blocks, and 1.0 steal in 33 minutes per game through 59 games. He shot 47 percent from the field on 12.1 attempts per game and 77 percent from the free-throw line o...

Once considered nothing more than scraps in the deal that sent his brother Pau to Los Angeles, Marc is now the Gasol brother to target in fantasy. He put together arguably his best season as a pro in 2012-13, cementing himself as one of the better true centers in the league while also taking home Defensive Player of the Year honors. Gasol finished last season with averages of 14.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.0 steal – numbers that are all in line with his career per-36 numbers. But it was his improvements at the charity stripe (85 percent) and playmaking (4.0 assists per game) which elevated his overall fantasy game to top-tier levels. Consistency is the key with Gasol – he's been healthy for most of his career while posting similar per-minute production since entering the league – but he has flashed upside for more stat-stuffing if the Grizzlies ever opt to lean on him even more heavily. While he may not have some of the eye-popping double-double numbers you'll see from flashier big men, Gasol's across-the-board production and consistency is extremely valuable in fantasy and makes him one of the safer picks at the pivot position.

2012-13

After signing a lucrative five-year, $58-million deal prior to the 2011-12 season, Gasol proved to the Grizzlies he was worth the investment by putting together one of his best campaigns as a pro. The big (7-1, 270) bruising center tied a career-high scoring mark by averaging 14.6 points per game. He also continued to work hard on the glass, pulling down 8.9 boards per contest. His shooting percentage dipped below 50 percent for the first time in his career, but Gasol still managed to shoot an effective 74.8 percent from the free-throw line. On the defensive side of the ball, Gasol was better than ever, posting averages of 1.9 blocks and 1.0 steals. The sneakiest part of his value comes from his passing skills, as Gasol dished out 3.1 assists per game last season, which led all centers. The only knock against Gasol’s stellar season is that much of the production came with Zach Randolph, who missed 38 of 66 games, on the shelf. But even with Randolph healthy and starting along side him in the playoffs, Gasol still managed to average 15.1 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.9 blocks. At 27, Gasol is in the prime of his career and should continue to blossom as the Grizzlies’ starting center.

2011-12

After living in his brother Pau’s shadow for years, the other Gasol brother is doing quite well for himself these days. The Grizzlies big man (7-1, 265) finished his third season with averages of 11.7 rebounds, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.7 blocks. While his overall production was slightly down from his breakout 2009-10 campaign, that can be attributed to a slight drop in minutes due to a surprisingly deep Grizzlies’ front court, rather than a diminishing skill set. In fact, once the Grizzlies’ rotation was shortened for the playoffs, Gasol posted averages of 15.0 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 2.2 blocks. With Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph as the go-to scorers for the Grizzlies, Gasol is, at best, the Grizzlies’ third offensive option, so no one should expect a significant boost in scoring for the 26-year-old anytime soon. But even if Gasol doesn’t ever develop into the same type of offensive talent as his brother, he’ll still hold plenty of fantasy value with his steady all-around production. Gasol will be a restricted free agent once the NBA’s labor situation is settled, but all signs point to him returning to Memphis.

2010-11

Most talk about the Lakers' trade for Pau Gasol as one of the worst in history. While there's no doubt the elder Gasol is one of the 15 best players in the league and has been a major reason why L.A. has won the past two championships, there have been far more lopsided trades in sports, as Marc has quickly turned into a highly valuable commodity in his own right.. He averaged 14.6 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.6 blocks while shooting 58.1% from the floor last season during just his second year in the states. His 67.0 percent free-throw shooting wasn't great, but he made 73.3 percent from the line his rookie season, so a bounce back there is plausible. Gasol was the only player in the NBA other than Gerald Wallace to average double-digits in points, more than nine rebounds and both a steal and block per game – pretty impressive stuff from the center position. And he's young enough that he should only get better. He missed 13 of the final 15 games last year with a partially torn neck muscle, but that shouldn't be a problem entering 2010-11, as he was already participating in the world championships for Spain in August. Just because the Grizzlies drafted Hasheem Thabeet with the No. 2 pick last year doesn't mean they should have. Thabeet is in no way a threat to steal Gasol's playing time. Gasol has the upside to finish as a top-five fantasy center.

2009-10

Gasol surpassed the expectations of most NBA prognosticators in his rookie season. Scouting reports tagged Gasol as a shell of his brother Pau, but he came out and proved that he can be a productive center in the NBA. His per game averages and shooting percentages are similar to those of other mid-tier centers like Nene and Al Horford. Gasol doesn’t provide exceptional value in any single category, but he also doesn’t have any glaring deficiencies in his game. His block averages are respectable at 1.1 per game, and he may see a slight rise in offensive rebounds in his second year as defenses focus more heavily on his front court partner, Zach Randolph. One cause for concern that could affect Gasol’s floor time and production is the presence of rookie center Hasheem Thabeet. Thabeet has a raw offensive game, but he displayed game-changing defense at the college level and seems like a perfect fit to pair on the frontline with the defensively challenged Randolph. Such a development could push Gasol to the bench and make him the team’s sixth man. While many players have learned to thrive as a team’s sixth man, Gasol’s averages were affected in games where he entered as a sub last season, and a move to the bench could have a negative impact on his fantasy value.

2008-09

He was drafted by the Lakers in the 2007 draft, but elected to stay in Europe for a season. Perhaps that was for the better, as he was MVP of the Spanish ACB league, averaging 16.1 points on a 62 percent clip while also grabbing 8.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks. He was traded from L.A. to Memphis in a February trade, signed by the Grizzlies in July and should be the No. 2 center entering the season. He is still a bit raw, but is an excellent low-post option. He's also a bit slow, so he might be pulled off the court when the team goes up-tempo and may be a liability on defense.

2007-08

Gasol will spend the year playing in Spain, and will therefore hold no fantasy value for 2007-2008.